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Bleak House

by: Charles Dickens

Publication date: 2012-03-27

Topics: librivox, literature, audiobook, dickens, bleak house

Language: English

Item Size: 5.5G

LibriVox recording of Bleak House, by Charles Dickens. Read by Mil Nicholson.

The Chancery Court had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including administration of estates, the guardianship of orphans, and disputed property disbursement. In Dickens’ time, some cases could take years to be settled, changing the lives of those involved.

Esther Summerson, a young woman raised in a tough and unloving atmosphere, is unexpectedly requested to be a companion to two teenage orphans, Richard Carstone and Ada Clare, for whom the court has appointed as guardian, John Jarndyce. They take up residence at Mr. Jarndyce’s home, Bleak House. The story of their lives and fortunes is the main thrust of the novel, and is related at times through the eyes of Esther, whose gentle point of view gives the reader a different and more intimate perspective.

Richard is sure his fortune is ‘just around the corner’ when the case of Jarndyce-v-Jarndyce, of which he and Ada will be beneficiaries, is settled. He tries his hand at a career or two, but he becomes obsessed with hastening the probate of the willed fortune he feels must soon be theirs. Further difficulties arise when he and Ada fall in love, while he, penniless, continues the quest to bring his case to justice.

A scriber of legal documents dies, and from his death, questions arise which unearth secrets that the Jarndyce’s neighbour, Lady Dedlock, has kept hidden for years. Inspector Bucket enters the case, and begins investigating the disappearance of Lady Dedlock. In the dirt poor part of London comes a young boy called Joe who claims to ‘know noffink’ but who has witnessed something very important.

Several other colorful characters are wound into the story. Nearly insane Miss Flite, who for years has attended court every day, with her little folder of documents, is ever hopeful of a settlement. Mr. Boythorn is a boisterous friend of Jarndyce who has a vendetta with Sir Leicester Dedlock. The Jellyby Family, invariably on the verge of a disaster, is neglected by their Mother who is obsessed with an overseas project. The Smallweed family is mean and avaricious – squeezing money from poor clients. Mr. Skimpole is the childlike captivating friend of Mr. Jarndyce who sees no harm in living off everybody else. Mr. Guppy fawns after Esther, and plots to steal documents with his friend Weevle. Mr. Woodcourt is a gentle surgeon and family friend, who becomes a hero.

Since the writing of Bleak House, the property laws of England were changed, and disbursements were thenceforth conducted in court with the object of swiftly coming to a settlement for the benefit of inheritors. (Summary by Mil Nicholson)

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Addeddate: 2012-03-27 01:39:54

Boxid: OL100020109

Call number: 6082

External-identifier: urn:storj:bucket:jvrrslrv7u4ubxymktudgzt3hnpq:bleak_house_1203_librivox

External_metadata_update: 2019-04-13T07:04:59Z

Identifier: bleak_house_1203_librivox

Ocr: tesseract 5.0.0-1-g862e

Ocr_autonomous: true

Ocr_detected_lang: en

Ocr_detected_lang_conf: 1.0000

Ocr_detected_script: Latin

Ocr_detected_script_conf: 1.0000

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Reviews

Reviewer: elliekn - - July 3, 2016
Subject: Mil Nicholson

Mil Nicholson us an excellent reader. She makes all our favourite books come alive and a joy to listen to,

Reviewer: Frequent listener - - May 4, 2016
Subject: a real pleasure

One of the best novels by one of the best novelists of all time, read by one of Libravox's best readers! A real pleasure!

Reviewer: oldperson - - January 4, 2013
Subject: Bleak House

This is certainly a complex book and you need to "keep" going or loose the flavor and characters. Most fortunate that one can rerun and get back on track. Nonetheless, it is an outstanding accomplishment of Mr. Dickens and Mil Nicholson's skill and ardor bring it alive. This is an example of how it should be done.

Reviewer: TheBookworm - - October 16, 2012
Subject: Bleak House

Outstanding recording of one of Dickens' most complex (!) and satisfying novels. As usual, Mil Nicolson is the consummate interpreter. Tone, accent, everything is professional and appealing to the ear.
Thank you Mil for this huge and generous contribution to the world's listening pleasure!
TheBookworm (Manchester, UK)

Reviewer: stbalbach - - June 3, 2012 (edited)
Subject: Bleak House

This took me 30 days from start to end. Bleak House is a long, complex novel. Mil Nicholson deserves recognition for her efforts. This is a monumental work. For LibriVox, it stands among the best of the best and no doubt for a generation or more it will be the definitive free version.
ps. If you've never read BH prepare yourself, this is a very complex novel by design. The opening scene with fog and mud is your symbolic hint: nothing is very clear in this story. First, get a good list of characters, you will need it. The Wikipedia page has one but it's not very good. Volume 30 of "Novels for Students" (Gale, 2010, library book) has a good one. Second, I highly recommend the 8-hour BBC drama made in 2005. It clarifies many plotlines and characterizations that are murky in the novel. And, it's an amazing film in its own right, the acting, costumes and sets are superb. But read the novel first of course, the film takes some liberties with plot, is abridged and not original dialogue - think of it as a condiment, relish.
[STB|1930|06012012]

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